The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-06-02
DISCIPLES OF NIHiLlsM.
Powerful Secret Organizations Compose
of All Sorts of People.

ScCTcI TBdulLSUIOuS OOLnpO86U
of All Sorts of People.
The recent desperate attempt upon
the life of the Russian Gear, which took
place on or near the very spot on the
Newsky Prospect where his father was
murdered six years ago, shows that the
desperate spirit which prompted that
act still survives. This is the fourth or
fifth time at least, within five years,
that the present Cars life has been
threatened, and there is probably no
n of his immense number of subjects
who leads a more thoroughly anxious
life. The would-be assassins, as on
previous occasions, were found to be-
long to the vast and secret society of
the Nihilists; a society which has long
been the terror of the palace, and of
p%eaceable Russian subjects everywhere.
Some of the leaders were promptly ar
rested. They were found to be, not
from the lower or ignorant classes of
society. but military officers, university
students and men-and women, too
of good education and social position.
Even a policeman was found to be con-
cerned in the plot.
This is a striking feature of the Rus
sian revolutionary movement. In most
countries conspirators against the state
have been unlearned- and usually poo
men, who have had nothing to lose by
anarchy, and who imagine that they
have much to gain thereby. But in
Russia the Nihilists seem to belong
almost altogether to the upper and
middle classes. The great mass of the
Russian peasants still venerate the
Gear, as if he were a being more than
mortal. They would regard the rails
ing of a murderous hand against him
as worse than sacrilege. 1t is in the
universities, in the wealthy country
houses, in the palaces of mobiles, in the
quarters of army officers, that Nihilism
seems to be most rife and most danger
Gus.
The Nihilists, moreover, do not seem
to be a single, compact and united or
~ganization, but to compose a great
number of societies, the purposes and
methods of which widely differ from
each other. Some of these societies
are moderate and patriotic. They do
not wish to bring about anarchy. They
desire to get rid of the CALLING and
dreary despotism of the Cars and their
Government; and to obtain. by means
of a constitution like those of other
European nations, the political freedom
of the Russian people. There are, also,
other societies, which are constantly
engaged in plots to commit acts ST
murder, incendiarism and other deeds
of violence. They are composed of
fiery and desperate spirits, who are
ready, and seem, indeed, almost eager,
to sacrifice their lives in order to attain
their bloody purposes.
The Gar lives in constant dread
of these desperate conspirat ors.
He never goes abroad except under the
escort of a strong guard. His palaces
are constantly watched by spies and
secret emissaries. If he travels, every
foot of the railway or road over which
he is to pass is under the surveillance
of gendarmes and police, almost with
III SPcdhiuS ulSItuCe VI ZACH OGIler.
Every minute precaution is taken, in
deed, to hold his person safe from the
attacks of the secret and resolute
enemies who are known to be always
at hand, watching their chance. Every
day of his life is embittered by the
dread of a sudden attack, which may
come at any moment, in some unex-
pected way, and from some unthought-
of quarter.
This is the penalty the Gar has to
pay for the absoluteness of his rule.
Cruelty, injustice, tyranny, raise a host
of unseen enemies; who, under such a
Government, can find, or. at any rate,
will employ, no other outlet than vio-
lence for their discomfort. Such a
state of things can only be brought to
an end by allowing the people to take
a share in the government. Political
freedom affords a safety valve for the
utterance of disaffection. So long as
the Gar remains a despot, Nihilism, or
some sort of secret and dangerous
combination, will continue to exist
Youths Companion.